An apparatus for stretching and strengthening extremities includes a foot placement foundation having an inversion plane, a neutral plane, and an eversion plane. A selectively actuatable adjustment mechanism is connected to the foot placement foundation to permit a user of the apparatus to adjust the incline of the foot placement foundation as desired.
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5. An apparatus for stretching and strengthening extremities comprising the following:
a foot placement foundation including an inversion plane, a neutral plane, and an eversion plane; and
a selectively actuatable adjustment mechanism connected to the foot placement foundation, whereby a user of the apparatus selectively actuates the adjustment mechanism to adjust the incline of the foot placement foundation;
wherein the adjustment mechanism comprises a cam device.
1. An apparatus for stretching and strengthening extremities comprising the following:
a foot placement foundation including an inversion plane, a neutral plane, and an eversion plane; and
a selectively actuatable adjustment mechanism connected to the foot placement foundation, whereby a user of the apparatus selectively actuates the adjustment mechanism to adjust the incline of the foot placement foundation;
wherein the foot placement foundation further comprises a plurality of support elements;
wherein the plurality of support elements comprise the following: a front panel; a back panel; and two side panels connecting the front panel to the back panel, the front panel, back panel, and side panels together forming an interior compartment;
wherein the adjustment mechanism is housed within the interior compartment.
3. An apparatus for stretching and strengthening extremities comprising the following:
a foot placement foundation including an inversion plane, a neutral plane, and an eversion plane; and
a selectively actuatable adjustment mechanism connected to the foot placement foundation, whereby a user of the apparatus selectively actuates the adjustment mechanism to adjust the incline of the foot placement foundation;
wherein the foot placement foundation further comprises a plurality of support elements;
wherein the plurality of support elements comprise the following: a front panel; a back panel; and two side panels connecting the front panel to the back panel, the front panel, back panel, and side panels together forming an interior compartment;
wherein the front panel is shorter than the back panel to create an incline in the foot placement foundation.
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The disclosed apparatus is a portable device designed for stretching and strengthening the extremities of a human user, particularly for stretching and strengthening the calf, ankle, foot and toes.
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Physical therapy is beneficial in a wide variety of circumstances, from strength training to rehabilitating injuries. The feet and calves are often the target of therapy and exercise, due to their importance in athletic activities and frequency of injury. Not surprisingly, methods and apparatus for exercising these areas have been the subject of a high degree of inventive activity, reflected in the patent literature.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,497,243 to Martin is directed to a foot exerciser intended to exert upward pressure both longitudinally of the foot and transversely, and at the same time varying the direction of pressure of the weight of the body in variously changing directions, by means of a rocking platform or pedal.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,021,801 shows a foot and leg exerciser apparatus including a pair of depressible and extendible rectangular platforms. The side edges of the platforms are secured by supports with rounded bottom edges. The supports are coextensive with the outer side edges, and have there tops flush with the upper faces of the platforms.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,297,320 to Benedetto deals with a muscle exerciser apparatus including a base or housing, a foot support platform, a U-shaped bale, a front hinge pivotally connecting bale and platform adjacent the front edge of the platform, and a rear hinge pivotally connecting the rear ends of base and platform.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,603,851 to Russell describes an exercise unit for in-place exercising includes a unitary structure having a common base member with upwardly directed pads separated by a common groove, each pad terminating in an upper foot-engaging ribbed surface surrounded by a raised ledge and generally convex sidewalls and end walls which slope downwardly from the upper ribbed surfaces into the base so as to more effectively control the resistance through compression of the pads when various exercises are performed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,807,213 to Poncini deals with a lower body exercise apparatus including a plurality of supports, each support configured to be positioned on a horizontal surface and including a base having an inclined surface. In one embodiment, the inclined surface forms an angle between approximately 20° and 55° from horizontal. In one aspect, the plurality of supports includes two supports positioned at a distance form one another and having an angle relative to one another. The user can perform exercises on the two supports to exercise the lower body and to improve agility.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,897,464 to McLeod is directed to a method and apparatus for exercising the subtalar complex with controlled triplaner motion. The principal embodiment includes a standing platform and handrail in association with a rotatable foot plate. The foot plate is controllable and adjustable in three planes with fixed settings in all planes, including the oblique. The exerciser provides a method for isolating specific muscle groups involved with foot, ankle and calf extensions or where combinations of muscles are used, such as, with dorsiflexion-eversion or plantarflexion-inversion, while preventing tibial rotation of the foot. A second embodiment provides a more portable exercise apparatus utilizing the concepts employed with the principal embodiment wherein a rocker member is provided, attached to a support member. A foot plate attaches to the support member opposite the rocker and is pivotal in the transverse and frontal planes.
U.S. Pat. No. D298,266 to Reyneke shows a foot exerciser.
U.S. Pat. No. D347,869 to Friend pictures a stretcher for heelchords and hamstrings.
An apparatus for stretching and strengthening extremities includes a foot placement foundation having an inversion plane, a neutral plane, and an eversion plane. A selectively actuatable adjustment mechanism is connected to the foot placement foundation to permit a user of the apparatus to adjust the incline of the foot placement foundation as desired.
The apparatus allows users to stretch and strengthen muscles in at least a neutral, inversion, and eversion plane. The apparatus features a foot platform that can be adjusted between a 15 and 20 degree incline for dorsiflexion of the foot as compared to lesser degrees of incline in similar products. The present apparatus also differs from known products in that besides targeting the calf muscle, it can be used for strengthening and stretching the ankle, including the subtalar joint, the foot, including the rear foot, mid foot, and hind foot, as well as the toes.
Although known devices provide various exercise apparatus, they are either relatively complex and difficult to use, or fail to provide a variety of needed exercise positions. It can thus be seen that the need exists for a relatively simple and easy-to-use exercise and strengthening apparatus that facilitates a wide variety of desirable exercise positions.
While the disclosed apparatus is susceptible to numerous implementations, there is shown in the drawings and herein described in further detail, exemplary implementations, with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as illustrative of the principles of the apparatus and not intended to limit the invention to the exemplary embodiments shown and described.
As illustrated by
Although the preferred embodiment employs only three planes, other embodiments of the invention could employ fewer or more than three planes.
In the preferred embodiment, the apparatus has specific measurements. For example, the front and back panels, 6 and 8, measure approximately 17.738 inches in length; however, the front panel 6 measures 4.375 inches in height, while the back panel measures 5.644 inches in height. This 1.269 inches in difference between the front panel 6 and back panel 8, creates an incline of at least 12 degrees. Moreover, the neutral plane 18 measures 6 inches in length, while the inversion 16 and eversion 18 planes measure approximately 5.9 inches in length. The width of all three planes 16, 18, and 20 measures 12 inches to accommodate the average foot size. Other dimensions can, of course, also be employed and the disclosed apparatus is not intended to be limited to measurement proposed for the preferred embodiment.
The apparatus can be constructed of various materials that allow it to be lightweight and durable. For instance, the foot placement foundation 4 and panels 6, 8 and 10 can be made of plastic, wood or rubber. The foot placement foundation 4 can further include a thin rubber inlay to prevent peeling at the corners and thereby promote increased durability. The bottom portions of the panels 6, 8 and 10 can also incorporate a grip surface to promote stability of the apparatus.
Hill, Sean, Giraud, Gerald, Hill, Bryan
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Executed on | Assignor | Assignee | Conveyance | Frame | Reel | Doc |
Apr 20 2006 | Rehab United Sports Medicine & Physical Therapy, Inc. | (assignment on the face of the patent) | / | |||
Nov 05 2009 | HILL, SEAN M | REHAB UNITED SPORTS MEDICINE & PHYSICAL THERAPY, INC | ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS | 023489 | /0264 | |
Nov 05 2009 | GIRAUD, GERALD | REHAB UNITED SPORTS MEDICINE & PHYSICAL THERAPY, INC | ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS | 023489 | /0264 | |
Nov 05 2009 | HILL, BRYAN S | REHAB UNITED SPORTS MEDICINE & PHYSICAL THERAPY, INC | ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS | 023489 | /0264 |
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